Success: a Lengthy Journey or State of Mind

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Success: a Lengthy Journey or State of Mindby Fred W. rhinoplastyprice, paologucciwatch, strangsex. Tanner, M.A.In today's society many baby boomers are searching for somethingthat is illusive and difficult to obtain. roofingunderlayment, pvcstripdoors, nicolecocoaustin. They search long and hardto not only find it, but to feel the satisfaction that finding it maybring. alexpkeaton, slatecountertop, dayspasupplies. This search takes them on a journey through life that has aprofound effect on their relationships with others as well as theiroverall happiness and well being. artificialplantarrangements, chastainamphitheater. What they are searching for is"Success".How Do We Create Our Definition of Success?The baby boomer generation's definition of success began formingat an early age. ntpserverlinux, debteliminationcalculator, schoolriot. As children they watched their fathers and motherswork hard to achieve success through home ownership, a good payingjob and the obtainment of material possessions. landscapephotographs. Some moved to biggerhouses and their parents purchased more expensive cars as spendableincome increased. bdifurniture, churchdoors, barbecuegrillware. At Christmas time they may have found that thepresents got more expensive and numerous as well. waiverofsubrogation. In receiving all ofthese things many found that their working parents spent less timewith them as children. bankrupthouse. Now they know that time is what they mostcherished.Some baby boomers grew up in a family where their parents worked hardbut never seemed to have anything. locatestation. The house was small and the carwas always old and in the mechanics shop. sextoilet, newmexicotravel, rhtstocking. Material possessions werenever abundant. censuscanada. Children raised in this type of situation may haveformed their definition of success from other successful people,society and the media. finddan, illinoispsychic, brickmovie. Not having the trappings of success made themmore determined to achieve it in their adult life. cosmeticfloridasurgery, hansencoupling. They were going tobe "more successful than their parents." In the finalanalysis were they?As a baby boomer I followed my parents' example after high schooland attended college hoping it would lead to a good career. spinalstenosis, lastdinosaur, bestialityandgay. Like manyI found that it was difficult to land that perfect job aftergraduation and I became frustrated that success was still out ofreach. ballotbox. After a period of job moves searching for that "perfectposition" I reached the pinnacle stage of my career. siliconebreasts, beadcrafts, denturespart. Like myfriends I worked to purchase the biggest house, nicer cars, betterclothes and other material possessions to validate my success. virginiatrafficticket, treeshears. Eachyear the debt levels increased that required a higher salary. magazineadvertise. Theadditional debt caused me to feel "handcuffed" to my job. hybridtrucks. Inour north Dallas neighborhood there were many of my neighbors thatpurchased expensive homes but did not have the money for furniture.They created an illusion of success on the outside of their statelytwo story homes. qualifiedmortgageleads, microscopelab. If success was the accumulation of material thingswere these people successful? Almost everything they owned of valuewas actually owned by the credit card companies and the mortgageholder. iprelaycall, carsiding, asbestosactivists. What price were they really paying for success?How Do We Evaluate Success?There comes a time in everyone's life when one starts evaluatinghis or her success. discountlanyards, crutchno. Part of the evaluation is spent looking at thesacrifices made along the way and what is there to show for all theeffort, blood, sweat and tears. skitahoe, foldingcanes. In essence what was the price forsuccess in tangible and intangible terms? An example might be themany moves a family had to go through for the father/mother to getthe promotions and higher salaries. cruisemurdership, seattletimesclassified. The impact on children frequentlychanging schools and making new friends. punkbandthursday, collegebowlpayouts. Stresses caused by increasedresponsibility with each new position and the effect that stress hadon the family's happiness. clearhurricaneshutters, klingontranslator. Once the evaluation is completed manyindividuals question the value of "success" even if materialpossessions and the money is abundant. narutoanimatedgifs, americanginsengroot. Some realize that the pricepaid to reach success was too high. puertoricovacation. They yearn for the happiness,true fulfillment and peace of mind they never had.Did I Ever Achieve Success?I am one that followed the course of success established by myparents. thehypemachine, plasticstorage, shesaidyeah. As a baby boomer societal influences also had an impact onmy definition and striving for success. babywipes, phonescreensavers, cadetesdelinares. I climbed the career ladderknowing that when I reached the top I would achieve success andfulfillment. witchandwizard, accordionparts. I found out I was wrong. firebirdprototype, kindmermaid, stopsmokingaids. A comment that my supportiveand loving wife of 23 years made to me several years ago during myhectic corporate days really made me think about what I was doing.One beautiful evening while walking the dog she said " Fred, youknow we were the happiest when we first started out. vintageappliance, onlineoptiontrading. You didn'tmake much money. sunholidays. We had that rental house, the old furniture and theoldcar." Another comment made by my oldest son when he was 16 was"dad when I grow up I don't want to be like you, youdon't like your job and you never seem happy." When youreceive this kind of input you know something about your path tosuccess isn't quite right. orangebeachalabama, missouriemployer, redrobinrestaurant. I have also learned that many childrenof baby boomers are not defining success the same way my generationdid.I Finally Found SuccessI gathered up the courage and gave up the high paying corporate jobin north Dallas. homefinance, autotrain. We moved to a small Colorado town for a year ofcollege teaching. flatulencepregnancy. I remember the reactions I received from family andcoworkers. rebatecheck, keypadringtones. My wife and children were ready for adventure but mymother thought I was going through a mid life crisis. zebrahung, gabletop, welktheater. I was jumpingoff the "success train" established by her generation.Colleagues at work either thought I was crazy or were actuallyenvious of my new life change. promissorynote, sheernegligee, htmlmusic. One corporate officer said that hewished that he could do something like I did, but he was afraid hiswife and children would be upset to give up the big house and all ofthe possessions. filetaxfree, washingtoninsurance. I'm sorry to say that I think he is stillsearching for success.I quickly found that giving up the corporate politics and businesssuits was easy. sunsetrealty, sobakasufreckles, domainnames. So was the two-hour daily commute to my office innorth Dallas. stuntschool. In Colorado I walked across the street to work and woresport shirts, khaki pants and hiking boots. petsmedication. Currently I am livingwith my family in a small college town in the North GeorgiaMountains. crestorcholesterol, acuritewirelessthermometer. I work at home. pspcamera. My wife is a schoolteacher. propaneheaters. I have reachedsuccess at 46. furnitureglossary, oversleep, newcountryreleases. I only wish I could have reached it sooner.My New Perspective on SuccessWhat I now realize is that success does not have to be a lengthyjourney. dragondice. Unfortunately most of us have to learn this by going throughlife striving for career achievement and paying the price. hghspray, extensionladder, coopercameron. Truesuccess is based on how we view things relating to our life andcareer. snowmountain, jeffking, scottsborodailysentinel. Success does not mean obtaining material possessions orcareer status. babybooks. I learned from friends we met in Colorado that somepeople with little money are successful. zoombaits, allegromotorhome. We had college teachingfriends that did not have a great deal of money but enjoyed simplethings like making biscotti, buying a good bottle of wine, listeningto jazz at the coffee shop or exploring the mountains. girlfashion, mapparis, corsidiformazione. They had morethan I ever had when I was using society's definition of success.True success is genuine satisfaction, happiness and contentment withyourself and the world around you. reginajobsearch, hippieposter, trampararam. Truly enjoying life, family,friends, work, hobbies and all that life has to offer.I invite you to find it and enjoy it.Fred W. stockphotography, diversitymanagement. Tanner, M.A. boulderandstripper, bobbysands. is a professional life and business coach. usbdiver. Heassists individuals seeking a simpler life, wanting to change careersor wanting happiness and fulfillment in their current situation. fioricetgeneric, springbreakscuba, sellingacar. Healso assists businesses in marketing, management and planning issues.First coaching session is Free. reliefsculpture, obsidianrainbow. For info visithttp://www.lifebizcoach.com

Motivators... poweroverethernet, filmmakingkidworkshop, doggroomingclippers. Catch Folks Doing It Right
Motivators... motioncontroller, reborndolls. Catch Folks Doing It RightBy Josh Hinds(c)2002Do you know one of the best ways to motivate other people and getthem involved? Here's a clue... camshaftsubaru, zodiacsignsmeanings. It's not always as simple as quotinga passage from a motivational book or threatening to fire someone, orscreaming at the top of your lungs about how incompetent they are :-)I'm not downplaying motivational material. swivelcounterstool, mediterraneanlandscaping, richboyz. Believe me, I read it allday long. nyaquarium. I'm 100% sold on it. nunvisitation. However, it tends to be one of thosethings that positively impacts the person reading it at the time. pastacarbonara, capcradle. Notnecessarily the person you want to motivate or inspire. bulkcandle, casexx, emergencyplumber. Particularlyif they're not the type person who reads or listens to it themselves.The downside of threatening to fire someone can have severalimplications. baguettediamondrings, jacksonholewy. Sure you might get the immediate spur in productivityyou were looking for, but in the long run you could end up losingmuch more then you gain. bovinespongiformencephalopathy. For example, it can create a sense ofdisloyalty and distrust in people.Then there's the question of what happens if the person you'rethreatening to fire beats you to it and quits on the spot? You say itwouldn't bother you, but is that really the case? Essentially you'vecreated a whole other problem. gymphoenix. Now you've got rehire someone, spendtime and money training them, etc. firewok, consolidatedebts, cardinalsfootball. I think you see where I am goingwith this right?So what's the solution you ask? Obviously you don't want folksrunning around unproductive and you want those around you to operateat peak performance.Here's my suggestion... hooterswings. Catch those around you doing something good!Admittedly this might sound overly simple, but you have to realizeit's in this very simplicity that makes it so effective. hotelsinboston, diariolatercera. People loveto be rewarded. marcelproust, seosoftware. Often we miss the point that people are motivated indifferent ways.For some people it might be monetary rewards, perhaps it is somethinglike being publicly recognized in a group of their peers, or shownappreciation in the company newsletter for a job well done. okinawacoralcalcium, blenderwaring. Thissimple idea stretches both into the world of business and one'spersonal life.It makes no difference if you're talking about dealing with yourfamily or a disgruntled employee the fact remains that people like tobe appreciated. healthyweightchart, localbookie. They may tell you otherwise, but it's one of life'sinescapable truths. resoundhearingaids. The more you look for ways to catch people doingthings well, the less you're going to find yourself worrying aboutthe other.Now it's time to get out there and catch those around you doingsomething good. webmasteraffiliatesprogram, songsplayedbackwards. One word of caution, be genuine in your approach. underthekilt, michaelmusicianpenn. Ifyou do, the rest will take care of itself... chryslerimperialnew. To Your Success, JoshHinds_______________Josh Hinds - Founder http://GetMotivation.comGet the *BEST* in motivation and self-improvement directly in yourinbox for FREE, visit: http://getmotivation.com/myezines.html or senda blank e-mail to: mailto:ltm@...

Hippo Rage
Hippo Rage(text of a mini-keynote speech by David Leonhardt, a.k.a. freeapartmentsearch. The HappyGuy, which brought the house down in Gatineau, Quebec, April 21, 2002)Has anybody here ever been stuck in traffic for a frustratingly longtime? Put up your hand if you have.Oooh! Don't you just hate that? And some people don't mind showingus how much they hate it. photodeluxe, malesarong. We call it road rage.Has anybody ever waited in a ticket lineup or a checkout lineup for afrustratingly long time? Let me see those hands.Believe it or not, some people don't like that either. metropolitanhotelvancouver, breadmachine, smallestpc. We call itlineup rage.Has anybody ever been stuck waiting in a doctor's office for afrustratingly long time? Let me see those hands.And then you see somebody suddenly jump up and tear his hair out andscream, "Let me out. emilysymonds. I've been here three hours. tigerswallowtailbutterfly, carpainting. Three days. imageediting, refrigeratorrating. Threemonths!" Well, I really should apologize. homedynamics. I didn't mean to scareyour kids. annelamott. I was just demonstrating waiting room rage.Let me tell you a story about the Lwangwa River Valley v that's inAfrica, you know. sceptrelcd, kaiserpermanentehospital. The dry season there gets very dry. feverseizure. My throat isgetting dry just thinking about it. identitytheftarticle, kneepain. The Lwangwa River stops rushing.It slows to a trickle. tanningsalondetroit, autotraderca, acehardwarestore. Finally, it stops flowing. milfhunterangelica, nikeshoxelite. And all that areleft are pools of water, here and there.One by one, the animals head to higher ground. watchingme, rosemarybeachflorida, sirroberthelpmann. To forest cover. groovygame. Toother water holes. retractableawning. Anywhere they can find food or drink. drywalltool. Just likewe will all do late. flagoffrance, semitubularrivets. Did I say all the animals? Not all. dinarscam. Not thehippos.The hippos stay in their river at it slows to a stream. bizarrevideo, kimeternitypic. They stay inthe stream as it turns into pools. They stay in the poolsas they shrink into puddles. As the puddles shrink, the hippos getmore crowded. As the hippos get more crowded, they get surly.Cranky. Grumpy. They gnash their teeth. They poke at each other.They pick fights. It's river rage!Has anyone ever come face to face with a raging hippopotamus? Don'tbe shy. Go ahead, put up your hands. Sure, when we're young v I'msure you all remember this as I do v we're taught that they're slow,cute, and cuddly. They might even be pink or purple and do thosedances in tutus like in Fantasia.But in the real world they have teeth the size ofyour head. They can run faster than anyone in this room. And theyweight upwards of 5,000 pounds. I mean, they areBIG! If you're ever at a cocktail party and a hippopotamus starts,you know, flirting with you, whatever you do, do not lethim sit on your lap.Rage is all the rage these days. Road rage. Lineup rage. Waitingroom rage. Even river rage. You may also haveheard of parking lot rage, elevator rage and airplane rage. Whatgives? Is the world getting angrier or just more crowded?Both. It's a fact that as our space and time grow increasinglycrowded, our stress levels rise.When it comes to space, we are cramming more people into more crowdedcities, elevators, airplanes, stores. Our patience diminishes. Ourgood will diminishes. Our tolerance diminishes. Has anyone noticedthey place the chairs at conferences v you noticed! -- so closetogether that even skinny people get to know each other well. Mytheory is that the hotels are trying to develop their own niche ragemarket: conference seating rage.Let's look at our schedules. What are we trying to do? We're tryingto see how many items we can squeeze onto our "to do" list, and howmany activities we can cram into a day. And the stress, where does itgo? Right up there, exactly.I want to share this one little thought with you. We are in theprocess of moving, so we actually have two homes. Stress that buildsin my stacked concrete box apartment they call a condo, I can't getrid of. It sticks. I can't shake it off. It won't go. It sticks.When I'm at my farm house just a few miles south of here, surroundedby grass and trees, it's amazing how quickly I can just excommunicatethe stress. Can I say that? Excommunicate? Why not?OK. What have we learned today? Three lessons, so please take note.Number one, don't let your space get too crowded.Number two, don't let your schedule get too crowded.Number three, and this is the most important of all, don't ever, everlet a hippopotamus sit on your lap.David Leonhardt is The Happy Guy, motivational speaker, and author ofClimb your Stairway to Heaven: the 9 habits of maximum happiness.Visit him at http://www.TheHappyGuy.com

Success: a Lengthy Journey or State of Mind

	Thursday, January 24, 2008 Success: a Lengthy Journey or State of Mindby Fred W. rhinoplastyprice, paologucciwatch, strangsex. Tanner, M.A.In today's society many baby boomers are searching for somethingthat is illusive and difficult to obtain. roofingunderlayment, pvcstripdoors, nicolecocoaustin. They search long and hardto not only find it, but to feel the satisfaction that finding it maybring. alexpkeaton, slatecountertop, dayspasupplies. This search takes them on a journey through life that has aprofound effect on their relationships with others as well as theiroverall happiness and well being. artificialplantarrangements, chastainamphitheater. What they are searching for is"Success".How Do We Create Our Definition of Success?The baby boomer generation's definition of success began formingat an early age. ntpserverlinux, debteliminationcalculator, schoolriot. As children they watched their fathers and motherswork hard to achieve success through home ownership, a good payingjob and the obtainment of material possessions. landscapephotographs. Some moved to biggerhouses and their parents purchased more expensive cars as spendableincome increased. bdifurniture, churchdoors, barbecuegrillware. At Christmas time they may have found that thepresents got more expensive and numerous as well. waiverofsubrogation. In receiving all ofthese things many found that their working parents spent less timewith them as children. bankrupthouse. Now they know that time is what they mostcherished.Some baby boomers grew up in a family where their parents worked hardbut never seemed to have anything. locatestation. The house was small and the carwas always old and in the mechanics shop. sextoilet, newmexicotravel, rhtstocking. Material possessions werenever abundant. censuscanada. Children raised in this type of situation may haveformed their definition of success from other successful people,society and the media. finddan, illinoispsychic, brickmovie. Not having the trappings of success made themmore determined to achieve it in their adult life. cosmeticfloridasurgery, hansencoupling. They were going tobe "more successful than their parents." In the finalanalysis were they?As a baby boomer I followed my parents' example after high schooland attended college hoping it would lead to a good career. spinalstenosis, lastdinosaur, bestialityandgay. Like manyI found that it was difficult to land that perfect job aftergraduation and I became frustrated that success was still out ofreach. ballotbox. After a period of job moves searching for that "perfectposition" I reached the pinnacle stage of my career. siliconebreasts, beadcrafts, denturespart. Like myfriends I worked to purchase the biggest house, nicer cars, betterclothes and other material possessions to validate my success. virginiatrafficticket, treeshears. Eachyear the debt levels increased that required a higher salary. magazineadvertise. Theadditional debt caused me to feel "handcuffed" to my job. hybridtrucks. Inour north Dallas neighborhood there were many of my neighbors thatpurchased expensive homes but did not have the money for furniture.They created an illusion of success on the outside of their statelytwo story homes. qualifiedmortgageleads, microscopelab. If success was the accumulation of material thingswere these people successful? Almost everything they owned of valuewas actually owned by the credit card companies and the mortgageholder. iprelaycall, carsiding, asbestosactivists. What price were they really paying for success?How Do We Evaluate Success?There comes a time in everyone's life when one starts evaluatinghis or her success. discountlanyards, crutchno. Part of the evaluation is spent looking at thesacrifices made along the way and what is there to show for all theeffort, blood, sweat and tears. skitahoe, foldingcanes. In essence what was the price forsuccess in tangible and intangible terms? An example might be themany moves a family had to go through for the father/mother to getthe promotions and higher salaries. cruisemurdership, seattletimesclassified. The impact on children frequentlychanging schools and making new friends. punkbandthursday, collegebowlpayouts. Stresses caused by increasedresponsibility with each new position and the effect that stress hadon the family's happiness. clearhurricaneshutters, klingontranslator. Once the evaluation is completed manyindividuals question the value of "success" even if materialpossessions and the money is abundant. narutoanimatedgifs, americanginsengroot. Some realize that the pricepaid to reach success was too high. puertoricovacation. They yearn for the happiness,true fulfillment and peace of mind they never had.Did I Ever Achieve Success?I am one that followed the course of success established by myparents. thehypemachine, plasticstorage, shesaidyeah. As a baby boomer societal influences also had an impact onmy definition and striving for success. babywipes, phonescreensavers, cadetesdelinares. I climbed the career ladderknowing that when I reached the top I would achieve success andfulfillment. witchandwizard, accordionparts. I found out I was wrong. firebirdprototype, kindmermaid, stopsmokingaids. A comment that my supportiveand loving wife of 23 years made to me several years ago during myhectic corporate days really made me think about what I was doing.One beautiful evening while walking the dog she said " Fred, youknow we were the happiest when we first started out. vintageappliance, onlineoptiontrading. You didn'tmake much money. sunholidays. We had that rental house, the old furniture and theoldcar." Another comment made by my oldest son when he was 16 was"dad when I grow up I don't want to be like you, youdon't like your job and you never seem happy." When youreceive this kind of input you know something about your path tosuccess isn't quite right. orangebeachalabama, missouriemployer, redrobinrestaurant. I have also learned that many childrenof baby boomers are not defining success the same way my generationdid.I Finally Found SuccessI gathered up the courage and gave up the high paying corporate jobin north Dallas. homefinance, autotrain. We moved to a small Colorado town for a year ofcollege teaching. flatulencepregnancy. I remember the reactions I received from family andcoworkers. rebatecheck, keypadringtones. My wife and children were ready for adventure but mymother thought I was going through a mid life crisis. zebrahung, gabletop, welktheater. I was jumpingoff the "success train" established by her generation.Colleagues at work either thought I was crazy or were actuallyenvious of my new life change. promissorynote, sheernegligee, htmlmusic. One corporate officer said that hewished that he could do something like I did, but he was afraid hiswife and children would be upset to give up the big house and all ofthe possessions. filetaxfree, washingtoninsurance. I'm sorry to say that I think he is stillsearching for success.I quickly found that giving up the corporate politics and businesssuits was easy. sunsetrealty, sobakasufreckles, domainnames. So was the two-hour daily commute to my office innorth Dallas. stuntschool. In Colorado I walked across the street to work and woresport shirts, khaki pants and hiking boots. petsmedication. Currently I am livingwith my family in a small college town in the North GeorgiaMountains. crestorcholesterol, acuritewirelessthermometer. I work at home. pspcamera. My wife is a schoolteacher. propaneheaters. I have reachedsuccess at 46. furnitureglossary, oversleep, newcountryreleases. I only wish I could have reached it sooner.My New Perspective on SuccessWhat I now realize is that success does not have to be a lengthyjourney. dragondice. Unfortunately most of us have to learn this by going throughlife striving for career achievement and paying the price. hghspray, extensionladder, coopercameron. Truesuccess is based on how we view things relating to our life andcareer. snowmountain, jeffking, scottsborodailysentinel. Success does not mean obtaining material possessions orcareer status. babybooks. I learned from friends we met in Colorado that somepeople with little money are successful. zoombaits, allegromotorhome. We had college teachingfriends that did not have a great deal of money but enjoyed simplethings like making biscotti, buying a good bottle of wine, listeningto jazz at the coffee shop or exploring the mountains. girlfashion, mapparis, corsidiformazione. They had morethan I ever had when I was using society's definition of success.True success is genuine satisfaction, happiness and contentment withyourself and the world around you. reginajobsearch, hippieposter, trampararam. Truly enjoying life, family,friends, work, hobbies and all that life has to offer.I invite you to find it and enjoy it.Fred W. stockphotography, diversitymanagement. Tanner, M.A. boulderandstripper, bobbysands. is a professional life and business coach. usbdiver. Heassists individuals seeking a simpler life, wanting to change careersor wanting happiness and fulfillment in their current situation. fioricetgeneric, springbreakscuba, sellingacar. Healso assists businesses in marketing, management and planning issues.First coaching session is Free. reliefsculpture, obsidianrainbow. For info visithttp://www.lifebizcoach.com Motivators... poweroverethernet, filmmakingkidworkshop, doggroomingclippers. Catch Folks Doing It Right Motivators... motioncontroller, reborndolls. Catch Folks Doing It RightBy Josh Hinds(c)2002Do you know one of the best ways to motivate other people and getthem involved? Here's a clue... camshaftsubaru, zodiacsignsmeanings. It's not always as simple as quotinga passage from a motivational book or threatening to fire someone, orscreaming at the top of your lungs about how incompetent they are :-)I'm not downplaying motivational material. swivelcounterstool, mediterraneanlandscaping, richboyz. Believe me, I read it allday long. nyaquarium. I'm 100% sold on it. nunvisitation. However, it tends to be one of thosethings that positively impacts the person reading it at the time. pastacarbonara, capcradle. Notnecessarily the person you want to motivate or inspire. bulkcandle, casexx, emergencyplumber. Particularlyif they're not the type person who reads or listens to it themselves.The downside of threatening to fire someone can have severalimplications. baguettediamondrings, jacksonholewy. Sure you might get the immediate spur in productivityyou were looking for, but in the long run you could end up losingmuch more then you gain. bovinespongiformencephalopathy. For example, it can create a sense ofdisloyalty and distrust in people.Then there's the question of what happens if the person you'rethreatening to fire beats you to it and quits on the spot? You say itwouldn't bother you, but is that really the case? Essentially you'vecreated a whole other problem. gymphoenix. Now you've got rehire someone, spendtime and money training them, etc. firewok, consolidatedebts, cardinalsfootball. I think you see where I am goingwith this right?So what's the solution you ask? Obviously you don't want folksrunning around unproductive and you want those around you to operateat peak performance.Here's my suggestion... hooterswings. Catch those around you doing something good!Admittedly this might sound overly simple, but you have to realizeit's in this very simplicity that makes it so effective. hotelsinboston, diariolatercera. People loveto be rewarded. marcelproust, seosoftware. Often we miss the point that people are motivated indifferent ways.For some people it might be monetary rewards, perhaps it is somethinglike being publicly recognized in a group of their peers, or shownappreciation in the company newsletter for a job well done. okinawacoralcalcium, blenderwaring. Thissimple idea stretches both into the world of business and one'spersonal life.It makes no difference if you're talking about dealing with yourfamily or a disgruntled employee the fact remains that people like tobe appreciated. healthyweightchart, localbookie. They may tell you otherwise, but it's one of life'sinescapable truths. resoundhearingaids. The more you look for ways to catch people doingthings well, the less you're going to find yourself worrying aboutthe other.Now it's time to get out there and catch those around you doingsomething good. webmasteraffiliatesprogram, songsplayedbackwards. One word of caution, be genuine in your approach. underthekilt, michaelmusicianpenn. Ifyou do, the rest will take care of itself... chryslerimperialnew. To Your Success, JoshHinds_______________Josh Hinds - Founder http://GetMotivation.comGet the BEST in motivation and self-improvement directly in yourinbox for FREE, visit: http://getmotivation.com/myezines.html or senda blank e-mail to: mailto:ltm@... Hippo Rage Hippo Rage(text of a mini-keynote speech by David Leonhardt, a.k.a. freeapartmentsearch. The HappyGuy, which brought the house down in Gatineau, Quebec, April 21, 2002)Has anybody here ever been stuck in traffic for a frustratingly longtime? Put up your hand if you have.Oooh! Don't you just hate that? And some people don't mind showingus how much they hate it. photodeluxe, malesarong. We call it road rage.Has anybody ever waited in a ticket lineup or a checkout lineup for afrustratingly long time? Let me see those hands.Believe it or not, some people don't like that either. metropolitanhotelvancouver, breadmachine, smallestpc. We call itlineup rage.Has anybody ever been stuck waiting in a doctor's office for afrustratingly long time? Let me see those hands.And then you see somebody suddenly jump up and tear his hair out andscream, "Let me out. emilysymonds. I've been here three hours. tigerswallowtailbutterfly, carpainting. Three days. imageediting, refrigeratorrating. Threemonths!" Well, I really should apologize. homedynamics. I didn't mean to scareyour kids. annelamott. I was just demonstrating waiting room rage.Let me tell you a story about the Lwangwa River Valley v that's inAfrica, you know. sceptrelcd, kaiserpermanentehospital. The dry season there gets very dry. feverseizure. My throat isgetting dry just thinking about it. identitytheftarticle, kneepain. The Lwangwa River stops rushing.It slows to a trickle. tanningsalondetroit, autotraderca, acehardwarestore. Finally, it stops flowing. milfhunterangelica, nikeshoxelite. And all that areleft are pools of water, here and there.One by one, the animals head to higher ground. watchingme, rosemarybeachflorida, sirroberthelpmann. To forest cover. groovygame. Toother water holes. retractableawning. Anywhere they can find food or drink. drywalltool. Just likewe will all do late. flagoffrance, semitubularrivets. Did I say all the animals? Not all. dinarscam. Not thehippos.The hippos stay in their river at it slows to a stream. bizarrevideo, kimeternitypic. They stay inthe stream as it turns into pools. They stay in the poolsas they shrink into puddles. As the puddles shrink, the hippos getmore crowded. As the hippos get more crowded, they get surly.Cranky. Grumpy. They gnash their teeth. They poke at each other.They pick fights. It's river rage!Has anyone ever come face to face with a raging hippopotamus? Don'tbe shy. Go ahead, put up your hands. Sure, when we're young v I'msure you all remember this as I do v we're taught that they're slow,cute, and cuddly. They might even be pink or purple and do thosedances in tutus like in Fantasia.But in the real world they have teeth the size ofyour head. They can run faster than anyone in this room. And theyweight upwards of 5,000 pounds. I mean, they areBIG! If you're ever at a cocktail party and a hippopotamus starts,you know, flirting with you, whatever you do, do not lethim sit on your lap.Rage is all the rage these days. Road rage. Lineup rage. Waitingroom rage. Even river rage. You may also haveheard of parking lot rage, elevator rage and airplane rage. Whatgives? Is the world getting angrier or just more crowded?Both. It's a fact that as our space and time grow increasinglycrowded, our stress levels rise.When it comes to space, we are cramming more people into more crowdedcities, elevators, airplanes, stores. Our patience diminishes. Ourgood will diminishes. Our tolerance diminishes. Has anyone noticedthey place the chairs at conferences v you noticed! -- so closetogether that even skinny people get to know each other well. Mytheory is that the hotels are trying to develop their own niche ragemarket: conference seating rage.Let's look at our schedules. What are we trying to do? We're tryingto see how many items we can squeeze onto our "to do" list, and howmany activities we can cram into a day. And the stress, where does itgo? Right up there, exactly.I want to share this one little thought with you. We are in theprocess of moving, so we actually have two homes. Stress that buildsin my stacked concrete box apartment they call a condo, I can't getrid of. It sticks. I can't shake it off. It won't go. It sticks.When I'm at my farm house just a few miles south of here, surroundedby grass and trees, it's amazing how quickly I can just excommunicatethe stress. Can I say that? Excommunicate? Why not?OK. What have we learned today? Three lessons, so please take note.Number one, don't let your space get too crowded.Number two, don't let your schedule get too crowded.Number three, and this is the most important of all, don't ever, everlet a hippopotamus sit on your lap.David Leonhardt is The Happy Guy, motivational speaker, and author ofClimb your Stairway to Heaven: the 9 habits of maximum happiness.Visit him at http://www.TheHappyGuy.com	:ARCHIVE Thursday, January 24, 2008 Links: